NASA, founded by Congress in July 1958, is celebrating its 60th anniversary with a series of milestone events to take place between 2018 and 2022. Some events have already taken place, while others are still to come.

NASA 60th anniversary logo. Source: NASAThe first event took place January 31 with a remembrance of the first U.S. satellite, the Explorer 1. Explorer 1 followed a year after the Soviet Union's Sputnik 1 and 2 satellites that launched the Cold War Space Race. Explorer 1 discovered the Van Allen radiation belt. The satellite continued to send information back to Earth until its batteries died after four months and remained in orbit until 1970.

June 1-2 of this year the National Symphony Orchestra Pops celebrated NASA at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, in Washington.

NASA is also planning a number of events to mark the 50th anniversary of the Apollo missions that culminated with moon landings between July 1969 and December 1972.

• October 11, 2018 - The U.S. Mint will reveal a commemorative coin at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington. The coin will go on sale to the public in January 2019.
• December 2018 - NASA will remember the Apollo 8 crew that spent Christmas 1968 orbiting the moon.
• July 19, 2019 - The Apollo 11 moon landing will be commemorated. Events will take place at NASA centers and in Washington with a live broadcast from Apollo Mission Operations Control Room at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the surface of the moon. Michael Collins piloted the command module. The landing and lunar walk were broadcast worldwide on live TV (watch the landing and Neil Armstrong's first step on the moon).

Visit NASA's 60th anniversary website and see the full list of events.